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any K&N filters

16473 Views 45 Replies 19 Participants Last post by  Smokin SRX
Has anybody installed a drop-in K&N filter yet? Every car I'll ever own will have at least a drop-in. It WILL slightly improve your mpg's, and it'll give a tad more power. The only thing you'll notice is a little more engine noise because the motor is breathing better. It'll probably make that 3.6 sound better too.
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ok, what is a k&n filter?
Brand name of a washable air filter that you can install to replace the factory filter. Supposedly less restriction to airflow, hence the slight improvements in power and efficiency. I wouldn't expect miracles of course, but over the life of the engine the ability to wash and reinstall should offset its higher purchase cost.
I see Amsoil make a filter that is washable and said to go 100,000 miles with 4 washings
BuicksRbetter said:
Has anybody installed a drop-in K&N filter yet? Every car I'll ever own will have at least a drop-in. It WILL slightly improve your mpg's, and it'll give a tad more power. The only thing you'll notice is a little more engine noise because the motor is breathing better. It'll probably make that 3.6 sound better too.
Fram also has something similar. It's called the Fram "Air Hog" air filter. I do not yet have a part number, but one should be available soon. It is also washable. Go to framairhog.com for info. Also, have yet to see anything from K & N as far as part numbers on air filters.
As of July 25th, K&N don't have an air filter for the Enclave. On their website they have a request form for new vehicles:

http://www.knfilters.com/products_needed/default.aspx

When they get round to making them, they'll even let you know! I'd guess that the more people fill that in, the faster they'll become available.
ChrisG said:
As of July 25th, K&N don't have an air filter for the Enclave. On their website they have a request form for new vehicles:

http://www.knfilters.com/products_needed/default.aspx

When they get round to making them, they'll even let you know! I'd guess that the more people fill that in, the faster they'll become available.
No K& N expected for a LONG time! Just checked every performance filter manufacturer out there , and only one showed a listing, TrueFlow, but it's a round cylinder type! The listing is wrong!Won't fit. I won't change to a complete bolt- on replacement system, as I've had them and find the "suction" noise too loud, when you replace the factory "air box". For now, we wait
I emailed K&N a request as well. Hopefully we see one soon.
Do more research and you'll find that K&N drop in filters are often more of a restriction than a help. (Miata Forum.. I believe it's Miata.net)
If you want to find an inexpensive way of improving fuel efficiency and a little more power you'll have to find a way to either get or make a cold air intake.
PVC makes for a nice Cold Air intake runner as it doesn't transfer heat very well at all, so it keeps the intake air cooler, you can run one pipe put an elbow, and run another pipe, drill holes or whatever for your MAF and slap on a 2.5" or 3" washable Cone intake/filter. It's ugly, but works, you can also paint the PVC black for that "stock look"..
MightyMouse said:
Do more research and you'll find that K&N drop in filters are often more of a restriction than a help. (Miata Forum.. I believe it's Miata.net)
If you want to find an inexpensive way of improving fuel efficiency and a little more power you'll have to find a way to either get or make a cold air intake.
PVC makes for a nice Cold Air intake runner as it doesn't transfer heat very well at all, so it keeps the intake air cooler, you can run one pipe put an elbow, and run another pipe, drill holes or whatever for your MAF and slap on a 2.5" or 3" washable Cone intake/filter. It's ugly, but works, you can also paint the PVC black for that "stock look"..
I've used K&N direct replacement air filters for 12 years (5 autos) and never saw a restriction or drop in MPG/power. Just the opposite! Why would it cause more restriction when it passes safely, almost 40% more fresh air?? I think the Miata guy mentioned was run off the road one too many times ;)

The cold air systems you mention definitely supply more fresh air, thus power, but I've always objected to the roar of noise on half throttle or more. Most people won't/ can't install them on a Buick anyway. maybe some will. But thanks for heads up!
I'm gonna wait for the K&N or Fram Air hog.................when available. They work!! :thumb:
Smokin SRX said:
I've used K&N direct replacement air filters for 12 years (5 autos) and never saw a restriction or drop in MPG/power. Just the opposite! Why would it cause more restriction when it passes safely, almost 40% more fresh air?? I think the Miata guy mentioned was run off the road one too many times ;)

The cold air systems you mention definitely supply more fresh air, thus power, but I've always objected to the roar of noise on half throttle or more. Most people won't/ can't install them on a Buick anyway. maybe some will. But thanks for heads up!
I'm gonna wait for the K&N or Fram Air hog.................when available. They work!! :thumb:
I agree with Smokin. I've used K&N drop-ins in my last 5 vehicles and have never had a problem. My Avalanche has a filter-replacement reminder on the side of the airbox (it measures a certain amount of restriction when the filter gets dirty; you are supposed to change the filter when it gets into the red zone) and it has never moved since I've had the K&N in it. It frequently gets driven on gravel roads and in fields with tall grass/weeds so it gets very dirty. I make sure the oil (which is what provides the filtration by trapping the dirt) doesn't dry out between washings, which I do about once a year. I like buying a filter once in the lifetime of my vehicle and knowing I'm getting better airflow and therefore gas mileage.
Many people like to think what they bought works, if not they wasted money. What was done on the miata net was an actual air flow test and the numbers just don't match what's being said and advertised. I will find the link and post it. I'm not an "anti K&N guy" I bought their product and used it. Never really saw much improvement over stock, other than the ability to clean my filter, but of course you test that "more power" theory more than the "more fuel efficiency" thing, therefore further reducing fuel efficiency.. :)..
I'll get that link for you guys, like I said.

OK, I got a few links that back and contradict what I said..
basically from what I was reading the K&N filter provides SOME better air flow, nothing that will be noticeable to any of us, especially in an Enclave. BUT.. the filteration portion of their tests will be noticeable. The reason you didn't show any "clogging" is because the K&N wasn't trapping as much dirt as your old paper filter..

and here are the links
http://www.bobistheoilguy.com/airfilter/airtest1.htm
http://www.autoblog.com/2005/09/07/how-well-do-k-n-air-filters-work/
http://offroadpakistan.com/blog/tech/how_well_do_kn_air_filters_work_1.html
I've always believed that the K&N's don't filter as well (I'm your typical engineer). It only makes sense that if you are flowing more air, all other things remaining the same, that you are not filtering as well. My thoughts have always been that the small amount of difference in filtering ability won't make a difference over the lifetime of a vehicle. The filter patches shown on the Bobistheoilguy link really show very little difference in color. It would have been really interesting had he weighed the patches before and after the test to find out exactly how much weight difference (and therefore how much more dirt) there is between each of the samples. The particles that allowed that dirt to bypass the filter were extremely small and I personally doubt they will cause any real issues, even over the long haul.

We drove our 1992 Grand Caravan 200k miles over a timespan of 14 years with a K&N in it and never had an issue. I had the oilpan off the van for a gasket replacement in the last year we owned it and the interior of the lower engine still looked like new. It still ran like new also. I maintain my vehicles regularly and that is what I believe keeps a vehicle running over the long haul. Sorry for the slight detour off-topic.
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At the same time I had a 3000GT with a K&N for 3 years and 70k miles in the panhandle of FL and my engine was wrecked pretty quickly.. Fine sand becomes an issue, in my belief.
The truth is most people in most areas won't see any difference in performance, filteration, or fuel efficiency by using a K&N, so the only real question is is it worth it for me to get 1 of them so I can wash my filter rather than replace. Keep in mind after you wash you have to drive with the stock filter for at least a day while the K&N dries... That means swapping back and forth a couple times...
A Filter charger of some sort is worth the money in my opinion, because they're washable and do yield performance and fuel gains (like a short ram air of some sort)
The benefits of the K&N filter are only seen during full "pedal to the metal" throttle and the ability to reuse the filter. Here is a thought experiment. If you took your filter off the car and ran it with the whole earth's oxygen supply available to it what would be the results on a dyno? Answer no appreciable increase in power.
budi said:
The benefits of the K&N filter are only seen during full "pedal to the metal" throttle and the ability to reuse the filter. Here is a thought experiment. If you took your filter off the car and ran it with the whole earth's oxygen supply available to it what would be the results on a dyno? Answer no appreciable increase in power.
Not sure I agree 100%. These autos have a computer that adjusts for more/less air, as when filter gets dirty, to insure correct fuel/air ratio. I thought w/ a K&N, after a brief period, the availability of more air would let some more fuel in at wide-open throttle and thus more power? A little anyway. I have felt it personally on a 4.3 liter GMC Envoy, just with the filter change! Yes, honestly, old filter had 10,000 miles on it, so maybe that helped skew the results a bit. but still, more power evident from seat-of-pants feeling, from that day forward. ?? I felt it was worth the cost regardless, and have to change filters anyway,so... :thumb:
I like to call this "sense of power" the reality shifter. Rather than getting "more power" to the point that you actually felt it you're simply getting on the gas more than you used to, and 10,000 miles of dirt does help a little. One thing to consider is what you mentioned. at WOT the car puts more fuel in the chamber because it's getting more air. This is, to my understanding, not true. At WOT the injectors are at full duty cycle, therefore pumping as much fuel as they can into an engine.. This is the reason WOT causes such horrible fuel economy. The air filter allows more air to match this fuel consumption, so you get the better burn, and thus more power. Now, consider how much more air is actually being flowed and you would have to come to the conclustion that even if you had an astonishing 5HP gain on an AWD car you would be putting 3 maybe 3.5 of that to the actual wheels of a 4300lbs car.. Hardly a noticeable difference. Put that same power on a motorcycle and life is the bubbles!..
power to weight ratio... You can only get so much power to the wheels and at 1200lbs for every 1HP in gain it's very unlikely you'd feel it.... it'd be like putting a 1HP engine is a 1200lbs car, I'm pretty sure you wouldn't even know you were moving until you past the first crack in the sidewalk...
The ONLY bolt on cheap way to gain HP and MPG is a filter charger, ram air, or cold air intake..
These will lower the ambiant air temperature entering the engine, cooler air burns hotter.. The better the burn, the better the boom, the better the boom, the better the vroom..
Plastic is the NUMBER 1 eliminator of heat.. Metal, especially aluminum, conducts tremendous amounts of heat. This heat is taken directly from the heads and put onto your intake manifold, transfered to your Throttle body, and then to your intake, so an all metal setup would basically mean every amount of air you sucked in is the same temp, or close to it, as your engine. NOT good.. Most manufaturers went to an all plastic intake manifold. This prevents nearly all of the heat transfer. Couple this with a plastic cold air intake and you're golden!!.. you'd have air temps going into the engine at 90* rather than 140* or more.. The other advantage of plastic parts/components is the smoothness of parts... Many people polish their intakes, or throttle bodies to get smoother air flow, the plastic cold air intake does this on the intake side. This again wil give you a decent gain in HP and MPG..
With a traditional styled, but made out of plastic, Cold Air Intake you could, very likely, see a 10, maybe 15 HP gain. Don't expect much more than that though, and that's with the best way you can setup an intake/filter setup.
Point is.. a drop in K&N filter doesn't do anything for you.. Everyone can argue and deny this, but this is fact.. You will not notice any gains in HP or MPG by a drop in type filter..
Don't believe me? Take it one step furter.. get a car with an engine you hate for some reason, top it off, but in a new air filter, run it with the filter for 100miles, fill up, do the math for the MPG, take the filter out, drive 100miles back home, fill up, do the MPG math again.. you may see a 2MPG improvement.. that's with NO filter in the intake.. (keep the intake box all hooked up though).. So how much better could a K&N be?
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Thanks for the very interesting thoughts/info. I know that alot of K&N is marketing hype, but I also know that I run faster with my nose unclogged rather than clogged, too! At least we agree, in that, your scenario of running w/ NO air filter would yield a couple of MPG extra, due to more air flow/volume. That is the same reasoning I use to justify a K&N air filter. More air, for a longer period, w/o clogging up= more useable power.

You are correct in saying cooler air = more HP, simply because cooler air is denser, thus more oxygen is contained in it. (same effect as talking outside on a cold winter day, and you notice that your voice carries further, cause cold air is denser) And yes, a Ram Air kit would yield more forced air, into intake chamber, yielding more HP. I just don't like the "roar" noise these replacement air box units emit, on half to full throttle.

Guess I feel that you gotta change the air filter anyway, so........... :thumb:
it's like you're breathing with a clogged nose with the stock filter, and then all of the sudden your nose is still clogged, but now you have no nose hair catching the dust so not only do you still have mucus causing blockage, but you have dirt and dust going into your lungs too...
There is every reason to believe that K&N type filters are not for the average user.

They may help in some situations, such as old-tech carbureted engines etc. but newer Mass Air Flow sensor engines may have a problem with the oil and extra dirt that may come in with these filters.

See: http://forums.tdiclub.com/showthread.php?t=192652 for one discussion of this.

TM
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